1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food, and more specifically, an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food suppressed in flavor deterioration and viscosity reduction with time and improved in emulsion stability. Note that the term “acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food” conceptually includes mayonnaise and a mayonnaise-type flavor seasoning. The term “mayonnaise” used herein is the one defined in the Japan Agricultural Standards. The term “mayonnaise-type flavor seasoning”, although it is not defined in the Japanese Agricultural Standards, is a food product analogous to mayonnaise in respects of flavor, appearance, physical properties, and intended use. Both are classified as semi-solid dressing (viscosity: 30,000 millipascal-second or more at 20° C.) in the classification of dressing of the Japan Agricultural Standards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food is used for various types of cooking including salad dishes and loved by a wide variety of people. In the majority of cases, the flavor of such an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food is primarily due to edible fat and oil, egg, and edible vinegar. An acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food using soybean protein in place of egg is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-39725, whereas an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food using fermented milk in place of egg is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-166059.
On the other hand, needs for food containing no cholesterol have recently increased for the health reason, and thus, attempts to prepare a mayonnaise-like food by using soybean protein as an emulsifying agent in place of egg have been so far made.
However, the acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like foods obtained even by the methods for manufacturing a mayonnaise-like food disclosed in the aforementioned publications are not free from phenomena such as degradation in flavor and reduction in viscosity with time if stored for a long period, inviting a decrease in shape retaining ability. Due to these phenomena, the commercial value of the food decreases. Furthermore, in such an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food, the emulsion state thereof is sometimes destroyed by a temperature change in the ambient air, more specifically, due to excessive cooling caused by irregularity in temperature within a refrigerator. In this case, the food also loses much of its commercial value. An oily component is lower in a mayonnaise type flavor seasoning than mayonnaise. The content thus reduced is generally compensated by a starch or the like. In this way, consideration is taken to texture and shape retaining ability (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-31414). However, such a product is not satisfactory in terms of deterioration of flavor with time. Accordingly, it has been desired to develop an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food suppressed in flavor deterioration and viscosity reduction with time, and having good emulsion stability and shape retaining ability.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an acidic emulsified mayonnaise-like food suppressed in flavor deterioration and viscosity reduction with time and having good emulsion stability and shape retaining ability.